USA Today reports that about 5,000 people have died in high-speed chases in the United States since 1979. During that same time, there have been 84 deaths in high-speed chases in Iowa.

Polk County deputies say they are more cautious when considering whether to continue or disengage a high-speed chase.

“In a pursuit, you're looking at speeds from anywhere up close to over 100 miles per hour,” Polk County Sgt. Brandon Bracelin said.

Bracelin has experienced high-speed chases firsthand.

“He pulled over onto a side street, dumped a bunch of narcotics out the window and then floored it,” he said.

Ten years ago, Bracelin said law enforcement agencies across the metro took a harder look at pursuit policies. He said Polk County deputies take into count road and weather conditions, as well as how trafficked the area is.

Bracelin also said they take into consideration other agencies or officers in the area that can help with safely terminating the pursuit. He said deputies also try to keep pursuits down to three actively pursuing cars.

In the end, it comes down to weighing the risks.

“You have to take some time to think of all these factors, you can't just pursue somebody and just instantly disengage unless you know what factors are going around,” Bracelin said.

Bracelin said officers across the state and nationally have adopted similar, more conservative chase policies in recent years.